In Terms Of Love
by PunkPinkPower
Summary: Sequel to My Sweetest Downfall. Shane contemplates what it might be like to be with Dustin. Dustin tries not to freak out.


_AN: I'm beginning to realize just how gay Ninja Storm really is. Shane and Dustin... Hunter and Cam... It's a bit ridiculous. I think it's safe to say I'll never write a story that has them both- even I have my limits. Moving on, I'm really loving Shane and Dustin, and so here's my second try. Since the prequal to this only got like, 4 reviews, I'm hoping for more with this action winkwink. It can work as a stand alone too. Please, feed the author!_

**In Terms Of Love**

For what was probably the fifth time in about 2 days, Shane found himself staring at his best friend. Not really thinking. Just staring. It was actually kind of ridiculous.

Shane looked away from the side of Dustin's face and tried to focus on what Cam was telling them. Something about an alien attacking. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Which was probably why he felt himself drawn to look at Dustin again.

He wasn't totally sure why he was so obsessed with his best friend all of a sudden. He did know that Dustin had been the only one he'd been able to talk to at all since Skyla. His relationships with the rest of the team were suffering, but Dustin's company was the only company he seemed to want. He couldn't exactly figure that out, either.

The others were turning and Shane followed them out. The rangers headed out to battle, but Shane's mind was still preoccupied. He wondered what it had been that had gotten him thinking about Dustin so much. Was it the way they had casually held hands that night?

Maybe it was the dream he'd had later that night. Surprisingly, it hadn't been about Skyla. Instead, he'd had quite possibly the strangest dream he'd ever had. Okay, so it hadn't been as strange as some of the things that actually _happened_ to him, but this was a dream he couldn't forget.

He'd been kissing Dustin. It sounded so weird to think it. Kissing Dustin. It'd be different it he were thinking it in a different way. Tori was kissing Dustin. That didn't sound strange at all. Hunter was kissing Dustin. Even that sounded halfway normal. But the thought 'I was kissing Dustin' sent a shiver up his spine.

He had really tried not to think about it. Told himself that his mind was just looking for a rebound. But he'd found himself spending more and more time with Dustin and ignoring the others. Dustin seemed to be the only one who could… comfort him. Quite frankly he didn't understand it.

And it was beginning to freak him out.

Coming back from the battle with the others, he glanced at his yellow clad friend. Dustin was talking adamantly with Tori, but Shane caught him sneaking a glance back at him. Shane looked away, embarrassed that Dustin was beginning to notice his attention. He didn't want Dustin to think he was crazy, and he certainly didn't want these strange thoughts to disrupt their friendship.

So he tried to ignore it again. And he failed, again. It wasn't like Shane was an obsessive person. He was usually very good at just letting things go. But this? This was totally another story.

He participated in the conversation, and joked with the others. It was the end of the day finally, and he could go home and war things out with himself at last.

Or so he thought.

"Hey Shane man!" Dustin called to him as he tried to make an exit. "Got a minute?"

"Sure." Shane smiled easily at his friend, and the two walked out of Ninja Ops together and up to the portal. Once they crossed through, Dustin walked a little ways away from the path that would take them back to civilization, and Shane followed uneasily. "So… what's up man?"

Dustin hesitated. It wasn't unusual -he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box- but it did make Shane a bit more nervous than he should have been. "I was going to ask you that."

Shane tried to look neutral. "What do you mean?"

Dustin gave him a look like he wasn't sure if Shane was playing dumb or not. "I mean… with you."

"That's specific." Shane grinned. A smile crossed Dustin's face, but was gone quicker than it had come.

"Dude, come on. What's with the eyeball?" Dustin put his hands on his hips in a girly way, and Shane tried not to notice how effeminate his friend actually was. "You've been gaping at me like a gorilla looking at a banana for, like, days."

Shane avoided Dustin's gaze. "I didn't mean to, really." Shane shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know, man."

"Well, could you try to like… explain it to me?" Dustin had that confused look on his face that was so incredibly endearing Shane found it hard to keep pretending.

"I wish I could. But I can't." Shane rubbed the back of his neck, and Dustin was looking at him strangely.

"I think… I mean… that's the first time you've ever not been able to tell me something, dude." Dustin pointed out, and that made Shane sadder than it should have.

"I know. But… trust me, you probably don't want to know." Shane made the mistake of looking Dustin straight in the eye, and they stared at each other.

The silence drew out, and it became very clear that Dustin wasn't going anywhere till he got some kind of answer. And if Dustin wasn't going anywhere, he probably wouldn't let Shane leave either. That was the one thing about Dustin's simplicity that could work for or against him; his single-mindedness.

Finally Shane sighed. He tried not to look at the rest of Dustin's face as he looked away. "I've just… got a lot on my mind." He supplied. Dustin raised his eyebrows for a second, and then his expression was neutral again.

"Is it Skyla still?" The question actually startled him, though he wasn't totally sure why. He hadn't really thought about Skyla at all, not since that night. "Cause you seemed okay for a while, and then you went all loopy-starry on me."

"No, I… it's not Skyla." Shane wasn't sure how to explain it, but Dustin continued before he could try.

"You're not mad at me or anything, right dude? I didn't like, upset you somehow?" Dustin wanted to know, and Shane grinned.

"Not on purpose." At Dustin's look of regret Shane hastily added, "It wasn't you at all man." _Not really_, his mind rationalized.

"But it has something to do with me." Dustin assumed. Shane shoved his hands in his pockets.

"When did this turn into a game of twenty questions?" He wanted to know. He hunched his shoulders up and put his head down, feeling irritated and embarrassed.

"Well, dude, it wouldn't be if you'd just tell me what's going on!" Dustin exclaimed, tossing his hands up in the air. That made him look silly, but strangely Shane couldn't help but grin at how cute Dustin looked when he was frustrated.

Shane closed his eyes, and hoped he hadn't actually just thought that. "Look, if I could tell you, I would. I can't, because if I did, nothing would ever be the same again. I don't want things to change. I _like_ things the way they are. So just… let it go, and…" He trailed off as he opened his eyes and saw Dustin with a grin on his face.

Honestly, what would be wrong with kissing him when he looked like that? It reminded Shane of his dream, of the look Dustin had when he had pulled away, and suddenly Shane was tempted.

"What are you grinning at?" He asked, trying to keep his voice even. He told himself He was only looking at Dustin's lips because he was grinning like that.

"I was just thinking." Shane opened his mouth to make a pun out a habit, but Dustin cut him off. "Don't even say it, dude; I didn't hurt myself. But I was thinking… when you said you didn't want things to change… you've said that before. A lot, actually. But things always change, dude. Sometimes its good, and sometimes it bad, but… change happens. And whatever is going on that you think you can't tell me… well, things have always changed, but I haven't. You know?" Dustin placed a hand on his shoulder, and his words echoed in Shane's mind a few times before he moved.

It was one of those decisions he wasn't aware he had made until after he had done it. It was like a battle decision- he didn't think about it. He just did it, because it felt right in that moment, and he would worry about the consequences later. He reached out and put his hand on Dustin's shoulder, and he leaned into him and pressed their lips together.

Kissing Dustin was exactly as he had dreamt it; smooth, easy, and completely mind boggling. He felt an incredible sense of Déjà vu as Dustin's hand tightened on his shoulder and their lips remained locked. It wasn't something he felt like he shouldn't do, and Dustin hadn't immediately shoved him off, so he kissed him again. And again. They never pulled away, but they never opened their mouths either. It was probably the strangest, but most memorable kiss, Shane had ever had.

It wasn't until his Ninja sense alerted him to the others coming through the portal that he knew he had to pull away. And when he tried, Dustin seemed startled as he tried to hang on. But then the portal opened, and their arms dropped, and Dustin completely missed the questioning look Shane shot his way.

Dustin starred at the portal as Tori, Blake and Hunter emerged, laughing at something they had missed. Shane finally looked towards them, just as they spotted them. They stopped, looked at the two solemn faced rangers, and waited. No one said anything, and as usual it was Tori who broke the silence.

"You guys want a ride?" She asked hesitantly, glancing between them.

Out of the corner of his eye Shane saw Dustin glance at him uncertainly, but it was Dustin who spoke. "Nah, we're gonna chill here for a bit. But we'll see you guys at Storm Chargers later for sure!" Dustin managed to smile as he waved them off, and that seemed to reassure their friends.

They left without any further questioning, and Shane waited until they were totally out of site before he could even look at Dustin. Dustin was still starring after their friends, but Shane's attention seemed to call him out of it. Dustin cleared his throat, looked around uncomfortably, and then looked right at Shane.

"Well that was interesting." He said quietly, and Shane couldn't help but grin at him. The fact that he'd been able to make Shane smile seemed to make Dustin happy, and he smiled brightly as he tilted his head to the side.

And there it was; that same look dream Dustin had given him after they'd kissed. Shane both marveled and dreaded the feeling of hope that ran through him.

"Dude..." Dustin shrugged uncomfortable. "Say something."

"Everything's going to change now." Shane spoke softly, sighing when he paused. "Everything has changed."

Dustin starred at him, and the silence hung like a barrier between them, both not knowing what to say and both to afraid to try. Neither of them moved for a long moment, not looking at each other, but not looking away either. It was strange how blurred the lines could become in such a short amount of time.

Then Dustin reached up towards Shane's shoulder, and he brushed it off as though he had somehow dirtied it before. "Sometimes change is good." He offered. Shane blinked at him, startled.

Dustin smiled, and Shane smiled, and they were both smiling like idiots. Shane didn't totally understand, but he figured he didn't have to at this point.

"Look, man… I'll make you a deal. You try to figure this out, and I'll try not to freak out." Dustin told him. Shane looked back at him and nodded. "And no more starring."

"Yeah, like it's going to be any easier _now_." Shane retorted. "Are you really freaking out? You don't look like it." Shane added as Dustin shrugged.

"I guess it'd be easier if I knew what was going on but… I don't know what's going on most of the time anyway, so." Dustin let the thought hang open, and Shane supposed that was mostly true.

"It's a deal. Just do me one favor?" Shane asked, and Dustin looked at him expectantly. "Don't tell Tori."

Dustin actually laughed. "Dude,_ trust me,_ I won't be telling anyone, any time soon!" Dustin reached out and shoved his shoulder, and Shane caught his arm.

They both froze, waiting. For what he wasn't sure. He caught Dustin glancing at his lips, and that was all the invitation he needed. He reached over and caught Dustin's lips with his own once more.

Just like before, Dustin didn't resist, and he even leaned into it a little this time. Shane thought about how weird kissing Dustin had sounded only a few hours ago, and how easy it seemed now. It was amazing how quickly things changed. What was even more amazing was how much better he felt attached to Dustin. He felt better than he had in a while.

He pulled away, and dropped Dustin's arm. Dustin glanced at him for a moment, and it was obvious he was trying to hide a smile. Before Shane could ask Dustin pushed past him and began walking back towards the path.

"Hey!" Shane called, catching up to him. "What's funny about this?" He wanted to know.

Dustin stopped and turned to him. "I just never realized…" Dustin trailed off, searching Shane's face for something. He must have found it because he grinned sheepishly. "I never realized how good of a kisser you were."

Blushing, Shane turned and started walking again. He heard Dustin's suppressed laugher as he joined him. They walked side by side for a moment, and Shane shot Dustin a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Back at you."


End file.
